Interpet IPF Duo No2 (450L/Hr)

So having spent much time recently talking to my best friends the fish they suggested that I review the pieces of equipment essential to keep them alive and happy. So I am starting with the internal power filter. I have a Juwel aquarium and as with all Juwel's it came with its own filter system - a large black box that sits in the back corner of the tank looking rather ugly and requiring a large selection of different filter sponges, so given that ...
...my tank aqauired the IPF Duo 2 to do the same job.

The Duo is a much smaller unit than the Juwel one and relies upon the water being sucked through the slots in the cradle, lifted up and in to the base section where it is pulled through the sponge to remove larger wastes before being filtered through the second stage media which is meant to be carbon/zeolite held in a small container before being blasted back out of the unit mixed ... more

So having spent much time recently talking to my best friends the fish they suggested that I review the pieces of equipment essential to keep them alive and happy. So I am starting with the internal power filter. I have a Juwel aquarium and as with all Juwel's it came with its own filter system - a large black box that sits in the back corner of the tank looking rather ugly and requiring a large selection of different filter sponges, so given that there are vastly simpler systems avaliable the previous owner of my tank aqauired the IPF Duo 2 to do the same job.

The Duo is a much smaller unit than the Juwel one and relies upon the water being sucked through the slots in the cradle, lifted up and in to the base section where it is pulled through the sponge to remove larger wastes before being filtered through the second stage media which is meant to be carbon/zeolite held in a small container before being blasted back out of the unit mixed with the air drawn from the surface. Thus giving the dual function of aeration and filtration for your tank.

But In my experience the carbon media I have was too small grains and when put in the small container was being pulled out itself and blasted in to the aquarium - resulting in a mess which while not dangerous to fish really wouldnt be doing its job. So I relplaced the carbon with filter wool (the light fluffy filter media which can sometimes be seen at the bottom on aquaria below the gravel as part of a different filtration set up) the benefit of this is it can be packed as tightly or as loosely as you want so can filter even the smallest particles as well as being washable like the sponges.

The rate of filtration can be altered by moving the slider to which the outlet is attatched, lifting it up makes it filter faster and down slower, the flow rate is anything between 150 ltr/hr to 450 ltr/hr meaning in a tank the sizer of mine the water should pass through it a minium of 3 times every hour and this is in an aquarium at the smaller end of the range (around 50 ltrs) but it is suitable for aquaria up to 90 ltrs in volume. Of course as we must be green these days it is worth noting that it has a stated power consumption of 5 watts (I presume that is 5 watts per hour but I dont know how these things are quanitfied).

The filter system itself sits on a cradle which must be in the corner of your tank, it has as a result of this a small area which is inacessable to even small fish preventing them getting in to the filter itself, the base is round which given the sponges are square means that there is more unused space inside the base, the top must be out of the water by a few millimetres to ensure that the aeration feature will work - the water will be filtered even without this but more sluggishly.

As it has a corner design and is round you can direct the flow of the water by up to 90 degrees and the flow deflector can be turned to give even more precise directional flow to reduce the 'dead' spots in your tank. And you can see clearly the direction of the water flow as it has a fine mist of bubbles fizzing out of it (the aeration).

With my set up this unit provides all my aeration and filtration but I do have a back up air pump and the original Juwel filter should it fail, it is also worth noting that this model is no longer avaliable for sale, it was discontinued back in 2005, but the new range is equally as good (I have bought one in preparation for the setting up of my 'new' second hand tank when a local school closes later this year). Parts are still avaliable if you search online though I see no reason that I would need to replace parts - in fact when the time comes I am more likely to buy another of the new range.

As far as cleaning the unit goes you should do so when you are doing water changes, rinsing the sponge and filter wool in the old aquarium water so that you dont wash away the good bacteria - but it is also worth cleaning them alternately, the same goes for replacing them thus you will always have established filter media in the filter system.

The rest of the unit you can wipe clean with a cloth or brush clean again this should be done in the old aquarium water.

It is also important to mention that the unit despite its age is still very quiet, my aquarium is in my bedroom literally feet from where I sleep and the noise doesnt intrude at all, the most noticeable thing about it is the gentle fizzing of the bubbles and that is not only very quiet but I find it relaxing as well.

Another reviewer mentioned that the filter was pulling his fish in to the system (he was keeping Betta - Siamese Fighting fish) I have never had that problem and my tank contains a range of fish from small Neon and Cardinal Tetras up to large Angelfish - in fact my main problem is my angels trying to eat my tetras! So I wonder if he had the flow rate too high or in a smaller tank than recommended?

The cost of the filter new was £28.99 - it still has the price sticker on it and the new equivalent would set you back roughly the same amount, the sponges can be bought from almost any pet shop and cost between £2 and £5 depending on the number in the pack.

Baring in mind that I didnt choose this unit myself it was part of the package when I bought a second hand aquarium last year I am very pleased with it, my tank is stocked to its limit and I have never suffered from cloudy water nor my fish seeming unhappy due to anything that this filter could be responsible for so also while it is recommended to use a biological filter media (the carbon/zeolite) it isnt strictly necessary as long as you are regularly cleaning the sponges and changing the water, but if this is a concern there are sponges avaliable with the carbon impregnated in them. 

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